_____________________________The Five Kingdoms_____________________________

While Casdora is a continent home to many tribes and clans, the western stretch of land belongs to a collection of nations known as the Five kingdoms. Unlike the majority of Casdora which in more barbaric mannerisms, the five nations are the seat of power and civilization in Casdora. The Five Kingdoms refer to the other tribes and clans spanning the continent as "The Tribes Beyond the Mountains," because the five kingdoms is effectively separated from the rest of the world by a collection of mountain ranges.

__________Gorgon_________

The nation of Gorgon is a seafaring one. Characterized by marshlands and swamps the terrain is plague ridden and hostile to outsiders, but Gorgonites themselves have built a hardy immunity to the dangers of the swamplands over the years, and thus Gorgonites are less afflicted by diseases or sickness which would claim the lives of others. Because there is so little viable farmland throughout Gorgon, most Gorgonites take to the seas to become fishermen, and thus naval expertise is not only common but highly prestigious throughout Gorgon, and it isn't uncommon to see naval commanders awarded fiefs for their contributions.

With the swamplands acting as a natural deterrent against invasion by land the majority of Gorgons military might lies in their navy, whose size rivals that of Kain and Valeal, but whose experience is matched by none. Because of Gorgons sea-faring nature it isn't uncommon to see mages aboard the ships using air and water magic, air magic to push wind into the sails or water magic to calm the waves should the vessel find themselves amidst a storm. Because of this heritage of water and air mages aboard ships Gorgon has a long standing history of producing some of the strongest air and water mages in the five kingdoms.

Gorgon wildlands, more so then perhaps any other of the nations, are notoriously dangerous to travelers. Abound with poisonous plant life, venomous wildlife, and a plethora of predators which stalk the swamps, it takes a certain type of individual to brave these lands. While Gorgonites who live closer to the coastal lands are more prone to take up the art of seafaring, those living more inland are faced with the adversities of the swampland on a daily basis, and because of this there are few better suited to thrive in a hostile environment then a ranger born from the Gorgon marshlands.

Currently King Arminius of House Briar sits on the Gorgon throne, seated in the capital city of Zola. King Arminius only recently rose to power, since only twenty years ago the throne belonged to King Garren of House Blackwater. During the War of The Blight against the Necromancer Malfear, the majority of Gorgonite forces were deployed in the conflict against the necromancer. With the king absent from the throne, and the majority of the vassals loyal to him engaged in the war against Malfear, House Briar and their conspirators staged a coup in Zola, which resulted in Lord Arminius claiming the throne, citing ancient heritage as his claim to the royal throne.

Upon news of the coup, and the slaughtering of his daughters and only living son, King Garren withdrew his soldiers from the war against Malfear and marched against the newly crowned King Arminius. The armies of the two kings met in a narrow patch of dryland just east of Castle Highwater. King Arminius came out victorious with the head of King Garren impaled on his great lance. In the years that followed, the dynasty of House Blackwater was ruthlessly pursued until thier name was survived by only a small number of members from a cadet branch, with the main branch of the family having been entirely exterminated. Today, House Blackwater is only a shell of the former glory it used to be, reduced from it's holdings of the kingdom and multple duchies across Gorgon, to only Baronies and lesser titles spread sparatocily throughout Gorgon, under the service of Houses known to be loyal to House Briar.

While House Blackwater rests on the verge of extermination, the thirst for revenge has never been stronger. Rumors are fluttering that the Blackwaters are preparing to reclaim the throne, with a flock of lesser houses loyal to the Blackwaters preparing to return to the service of thier former lieges. Loyalty runs deep amoung the Blackwaters and thier former vassels, and provided the opportunity the Blackwaters could once again pose a dangerous threat. Recently the surving members of House Blackwater have begun to dissapear, many suspect foul play by King Arminious and his House, and accuse them of tyranny, but lack of evidence keeps their hands clean.

__________Valeal__________

Where the swamplands of Gorgon end, the land begins to giveaway to temperate forests and rolling hills. Vast open fields have not only allowed the population of Valeal to grow exponentially, but have made them masters of the horse. While swamplands in the north and dense forests in the south render the Valean Calvary relatively inert, Valean armies are unmatched in their own lands or in open fields.

Following the War of the Blight, and Malfears defeat, the once subjugated citizens of Southern Valeal have proclaimed independence and have risen armies numbering in the thousands. Furthermore, magic has been looked at in a very negative light in recent years, and growing progressively worse. Recently, an order known as Paladins of the Rose have gain prominence, and whose sole task is to seek out mages throughout the five kingdoms and kill any who practice outside the branch of Restos. The Order gained a large following, but growing larger still. With the King of Valeal preoccupied by the Valarian civil war, their power may yet go unchecked. A cold war has begun between the Order and the Circle of Magi, with the Order actively killing mages by the hundreds, leaving the Circle of Magi in a mad race to find young mages and bring them under their protection before the Order claims them first, resulting in mass unrest among the Valean populace.

While Oslo serves as the seat of power for the Circle of Magi during the Ivory Tower's reconstruction, an alarming number of knights pledged to the Order of the Rose have begun flocking to the capital in alarming numbers. Unlike the Circle and their mages, the Order is openly willing to pledge their service to a king should they feel it could further their goals. While some mages feel the King of Valeal may soon favor the Order and expel the Circle and their mages, others believe the Order is acting against the wishes of the king since the king himself has begun to call his personnel levies to the capital. There is even fear that the Order has been employed to stage a coup. The only this that is certain is future peace in the capital is dubious as Knights of the Order grow more brazen by the day.

__________Valaria__________

The terrain of Valaria is simular to that of Valeal, with the exception of Valaria being far more heavily forested. Valaria was an independent kingdom until seventy years ago, when Valean forces invaded and brought the Kingdom to its knees. Although Valean rule has continued for some generations now Valarian desire for independence has never been stronger. During the War of the Blight, Valaria acted as the battleground for the majority of the war which left the infrastructure of the nation in ruins. Corrupt nobles, poor governance and sky high poverty have pushed the Valarians over the edge, and so finally the great Houses of old Valarian nobility declared a war for independence.

Currently the Valarians are losing the war, thanks to their own in-fighting more than defeat by Valean hands. There are three factions among the rebels. The first two factions are hosted by Valarian nobility, with each faction claiming their own right to the throne. The third faction is hosted by a mere knight who leads what he calls "The People's Army" which consists mostly of common folk. Ultimately each faction is serving their own interests, and thus far none of three have proved a threat to the Valean armies which march upon them.

The rebellion has left the land lawless. Mages seeking to escape the Order of the Rose in Valeal are flocking to Valaria in droves, and the leaders of the three factions are eager to snatch up able bodied mages who might aid them. Not all of these imagrating mages however are quiet so innocent, as the Wild Woods in Northern Valaria have grown twisted and foul, and Dark Magic is suspected.

__________Ferros________

The sons of Ferros claim their land atop the mountains in the South. As the Caspian mountains reach south they draw closer to the ocean resulting in a narrow but long strip of land leading into Ferros from the North. Rain coming in from the oceans is trapped by the mountains and result in a temperate rainforest. These wet and fertile lands are claimed by Ferros, and referred to as the Lowlands by the Ferronians. Settlements in the Lowlands are scarce and far divided, with most settlements existing as farming communities, but still the Lowlands are the powerhouse of Ferronian food supply.

The rain forest extends far to the south, but is eventually met by another cluster of mountain ranges which run perpendicular between the Caspian Mountains and the ocean. This first mountain range is named the Stoneguard Mountains, rightly so as throughout many generations armies have marched upon Ferros only to be broken at the feet of the Stoneguard Mountains. The first Ferronians were called 'The Mountain Folk', for as you climb up the Stoneguard Mountains you'll notice entire settlements carved into the stone with an elaborate network of roads and tunnels connecting them latitudinally along the face of the mountain range. At the peak of the Stoneguard Mountain Range the alltiude declines dramatically and levels off before reaching yet a econd range of mountains, resulting in a massive valley formed between the two ranges known as The Violet Valley.

Two bridges run over the valley, the first and larger bridge known as The Heavens Pass connects the two mountain ranges at nearly peak altitude, with the second bridge connecting the ranges at only a few kilometers above the base of the valley. Upon crossing the bridges you'll find yourself on the second Mountain Range named The Peaks. The road leading from Heaven's Pass will bring you to a dip in the mountain range, where the mountains begin to cluster but a massive area in the center sinks down, forming a bowl. This bowl is known as The Cradle, and is the location of Ferros' capital city of Snowhearth.

In Ferros, instead of a male dominated hierarchy with nobility claiming the top, the warrior caste claims the top with the great houses of Ferros electing a King, or sometimes Queen, from amongst themselves. As the same with other Kingdoms, Ferros openly practices slavery, and defeated enemies are often made into slaves. Interestingly slaves from Gorgon or Valeal are branded and kept at the bottom of the social hierarchy, whose treatment equals that of livestock, whilst slaves taken from anywhere else in the world are left unbranded, and given time are often accepted as social equals to Ferronian born citizens and even allowed to climb to positions of high power. This fact underlines the Ferronian's intense hatred for their long time rivals: Valeal and their Gorgon allies.

At the current time the Lords and Ladies of Ferros are fairly united in their hatred against Valeal and Gorgon, and have been no so secretly funding Valaria throughout the rebellion. Yet even with the Valarian Rebellion raging on Ferros is still recovering from the War of the Blight, and even a Valarian-Ferronian alliance would do little to change the tides of the war... but there are rumors Ferros is seeking... alternate methods of achieving victory over Valeal.

____________Kain______________

The last mountain range of Ferros, The Peaks, descend to a rocky basin and give way to the savannah called The Great Expanse, and here the borders of Kain begin. In the Expanse exotic wildlife roams across seas of dry, golden grass and nomadic tribes of the indigenous people migrate with the wet seasons. Pushing further into the Expanse, the golden grass is slowly replaced by the sands of the Adahmah Desert, where water and wildlife both grow rare. The desert continues for some distance before it is finally fractured by a plethora of rivers which stem from a single great river, all of which flood annually and leave the surrounding lands a lush paradise amidst a scorching land.

While the majority of farmland can be found hugging the fertile lands adjacent to the aforementioned rivers, most Kainite cities find themselves on the coast, where similarly to Gorgon, seafarring is the most common occupation. Merchants from across the world over bring rare dyes, jewelry and silks to Kain for trade, while pirates under Kaininite employment bring their own stolen r smuggled goods for sale. Within the cities themselves citizens from all reaches of the globe line the streets, not only men from the Five Kingdoms but men from lands far beyond the great oceans. In the streets of the capital city of Able, slavers exhibit their merchandise under the shadows of colossal monuments matching any marvels found elsewhere in the world.

Whereas knights from other kingdoms favor the horse and plate armor, the Kaininites forgo plate for leather or cloth and employ the camel in place of the horse thanks to the scarcity of water. Because Kain is seperated from the other kingdoms by endless miles of savannah and desert Kain has evolved its own distinct culture. Unlike the other kingdoms, with the exception being Ferros, women in Kain are treated as social equals and are allowed to inherit on the same grounds as men. Polygamy in Kain was also common practice until recently, but thanks to cultural pressures from the remaining kingdoms it's now rather rare to see members of the noble class take multiple wives or husbands. Furthermore Kain does not practice the faith of the Two Gods as a national religion, but instead the main religion in practice depends upon which part of Kain you are in. These paired with other cultural differences result in rather strenuous relations between the remaining kingdoms.

The Ivory Tower

Although the Ivory Tower was first created some thousand years ago, by a Valean king and his council of mages, it has never since nor ever shall owe fealty to any king. However, now that the Ivory Tower lay in ruin by the hands of Malfear in The War of the Blight, the mages of the tower and the Circle of Magi have been given refuge in Oslo, the Valean capital.

Because magic is such a volatile force, in the days before the Ivory Tower mages were feared and hunted, and as often as mages brought harm unto others either by accident or ill intent, they also destroyed themselves with the magic they did not understand how to harness. The Ivory Tower was built in response to this, to make the lands safer by teaching young mages how to wield their magic and hunting feral mages whom brought harm unto the innocent.

The Tower operates on its own agenda, separate of the five kingdoms. However, the Tower is guided by the Circle of Magi, or powerful mages who are in charge of the future of the Tower and all of its mages. It is tradition for each nation to select their most knowledgeable mage and send him to the Tower to become an Archmage of the circle, and at any time the Circle of Magi has a single Archmage from each nation. Upon entering the tower, mages abandon all previous loyalties during their time in the service of the tower. Mages under service of the Tower, but acting in the interest of any nation, is an act punishable by death.

It is also important to note that during their time in the Tower mages abandon their surnames and the names of their Houses should they come from one. Even the Archmages of the Circle of Magi are not exempt from this rule, as they too have abandoned their surnames. Instead they are known simple as Archmages of the Circle.

However, in light of the Valerian rebellion Ferros has ceased sending potential candidates to the tower, believing that the Circle of Magi favors their Valean hosts and unwilling to send their own people into potentially hostile lands. The Ferronian Archmage's withdrawal has sent shock waves throughout Ferronian - Vallean diplomacy, with Ferronian leadership citing young mages graduating from the Tower have been pledging loyalty to Valean efforts at a staggering rate, leading Ferros to believe the Tower has begun to pick sides.

Warden of the Magi (Guardians):

Once within the Tower young mages are taught not only how to harness their magic, but also trained to use the sword. Mages who show exceptional skill at swordplay are given the opportunity to join the Wardens of Magi, or Guardians as their mage counterparts call them. If a mage skilled with a sword elects to become a Guardian, he undergoes arduous training for the next five years of his life. During their time in training, the mage may opt out during the first four years, and it isn't uncommon to see mages who opt out of the training during this period go on to become royal guards in service of a king, but during the fifth year the mage has agreed to bind his life to the service of the Magi. On the first day of the fifth year, the mage undergoes a sacred ritual in which thier ability to harness magic is taken from them. The bridge in their souls, the same bridge they use to draw magical energies from the nether is reversed. As a result, the mage loses his ability to wield magic, but as a result becomes immune to it.

During the fifth year the majority of potential candidates die, as once they undergo the ritual they are to accompany Veteran mages and guardians in a hunt for a feral mage. Sometimes the candidate gets lucky, and the feral mage they hunt is little more than a rogue pyromancer burning fields for joy, yet other times the candidates arn't so lucky, and their first time in the field they are pitted against far more dangerous mages which utterly overpower them. One thing is certain though, by the end of thier fifth year their training is complete and they stand as Guardians. The new Guardians are then taught the Ritual of Sealing, a ritual which renders a target mage inert. The ritual literally leaves the target unable to harness magic, and sometimes whether by inexperience or intent the ritual also renders the target mage mindless.

Guardians are then assigned to a veteran mage or sometimes two, who duty it is to protect and accompany in the hunt of feral mages, or mages whom use their magic to harm innocents.

What are Feral Mages? By the Circle's definition, feral mages are mages who use their magic with mal-will towards any non-combatant. It's a rather slippery slope of a definition, since mages under the command of a king ordered to kill civilians are by definition feral mages, yet often times the circle will refuse to pursue mages such as this since their own label as non-combatants is kept in a delicate balance amongst the kings. Basically, most of the time there is no difference between a feral mage and a mage in the service of a king, except the Circle hunts feral mages, whereas they have to let the latter type of mage walk free.

Mages of the Tower:

Mages are taught how to harness their magic in a way which will not destroy them, and the tower teaches young mages in the arts of Restos and Destros. Similar to the Guardians, mages undergo five years of training within the tower, and are allowed after only the first two years, although most mages decide to stay for the remainder of their education. On thier fourth year, the mages may choose to sweat fealty to the Tower, and mages that choose to do so are then taught in the school of Mystos during their final year. Although many outside the circle frown upon the teaching of the branch of Mystos, the Mages of the Tower argue their particular field of work requires them to be knowledgeable in all fields of magic.

Also unlike the Guardians, mages who complete their training and do no swear fealty to the tower are allowed to freely leave. Many of which do, and put their magic to work as sailors, healers or in the service of whatever lord they chose to pledge fealty to.

[hider= How Magic Works]
How Magic Works:

When Meros sacrificed his divinity and gave every human a soul, he created a bridge of sorts between our human bodies here in the physical world and our spiritual counterparts in the nether, or the place between heaven and hell. He can use this bridge to draw energy from the nether, and those who know how to wield this energy can turn it into powerful spells and incantations.

Magic requires a great deal of concentration to cast, and the weaving of magical energies into a useful spell is not only a learned skill but a dangerous one as well, since losing concentration could result in a spell backfiring on the caster. Casdora recognizes three branches of magic, each with thier own schools of discipline.

Destros

The following schools fall under the branch of Destros:

Airmancy is the school of control over wind magic.

Pyromancy is the school of control over fire magic.

Hyrdomancy is the school of control over water magic.

Geomancy is the school of control over earth magic.

Constructs, when used in conjunction with one of the schools of the four elements this school allows mages to create elemental constructs, IE: Fire Sentinels, Earth Golems, Water serpents and Storm Elementals.

Demonology is not taught anywhere throughout Casdora, but when learned in conjunction with summoning it allows the mage to summon Demons from the depths of hell itself. Be careful though, as Demons are often unruly and have agendas of their own.

Restos

The following schools fall under the branch of Restos.

Healing is the school of restoring the body from wounds, grievous or otherwise.

Blessings is the school of protective and augmentative magic, ranging from magical barriers, anti-magic shells, or blessings such as night-vision or water-breathing.

Purification is the school of expulsion, teaching mages how to expel unwanted magics and even substances from the body, ranging from poison to demon possession. Masters in the art of Purification can even 'seal the bridge' of an unfortunate target, effectively rendering them unable to use magic. The duration of this seal depends on the skill of the user, and can range from a few seconds to the targets entire life.

Angelology, when used in conjunction with summoning, allows the mage to summon angels, or holy spirits, from beyond the nether. Much like demons, angels often have their own agendas and it takes a particularly powerful mage to bind either demon or angel to their will.

Mystos

The following schools fall under the branch of Mystos, alternatively called the Branch of Darkness.

The school of Illusion allows the caster to alter a targets perception of reality, and powerful mages can even trap a target within a false fantasy, much like a dream, and much to the Mages of the Tower's chagrin, sometimes a target is so entranced by this fantasy they refuse to leave, and eventually die from starvation or dehydration if not looked after for the remainder of their life. Effectively Illusion gives the caster control over a targets mind.

Necromancy: See how necromancy works.

Curses enables the caster to place hexes on an unfortunate victim. Hexes can range from turning a victim into an animal, fusing their body with objects around them and leaving them forever immobile, or simply giving them a string of bad luck. The imagination is the limit with curses, however curses more so then any other magic have a high likelihood to backfire.

Alchemy allows the caster to alter the physical properties of an object, such as turning iron to gold, or even altering their own forms such as turning themselves into animals or the exact image of another person, shape shifting as it's called.

Summoning allows the caster to form ethereal weapons, animals and companions, most of which disappear after only a short time, but when used in conjunction with Demonology or Angelology it allows the caster to bring forth Angels or Demons into the world.

Malfear was the first Necromancer the world had ever seen, and during time in Casdora he passed his knowledge to many of his acolytes, some of whom survived the War of the Blight and continue to spread thier corrupt knowledge throughout Casdora. Necromancy is unique from the other schools of magic, in that once a mage becomes a necromancer they are often left unable to draw magical energies from the side of the nether that allows one to use Destros or Restos. Necromancy also consumes the casters mind, and in times leaves them mindless and destructive shells of humanity, it should be noted however that some necromancers are unaffected by this decadence. The process by which one becomes a necromancer was chronicled by one such necromancer who retained her mind.

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We saw his power, great and unrelenting. Entire armies laid to waste only to be risen by the Master. He came us mages, captives of war, with an ultimatum. Join him or serve him. The ones who refused him were killed, and their bodies raised again as the mindless servants we've seen a thousand times over. I was the first to submit and so they pulled me from the line, their rotten hands pulling surprisingly strong on my arm, their eyes glowing blue with magical energy.

Then I saw one different than the others. Whereas the others were rotten and wreaked of death, this one was human I thought, as the skin on his hands and neck were unrotten, but he wore a mask of gold and silver on his face. In his left hand he held a dagger, and in his right he held a mask much like his own.They threw me before him and I rose to my knees. He gripped me by the chin and whispered 'There is only light when there is darkness', although I did not understand the meaning until later. Then I felt his dagger sink into my chest, and the feeling of the cold ground rushing to meet my face was my last memory of the ritual.

When I awoke, I found myself in a river with water so black I thought a great void laid beneath me. I looked up and I saw a ceiling of white, bright and nearly blinding, yet the light didn't fall on the river around me, nor did it illuminate my surroundings. Behind me was a single pale orb, unlike the others it refused to move and I felt drawn to it like a moth to light. I wanted to touch it, but as I moved closer to it I felt an overwhelming urge to draw no closer.

'Follow', I heard a voice in my head speak to me. 'Follow' it again repeated. Uncertain, I began to follow the river. After some time, the length of which I do not know, I noticed the river and grown deeper and stronger, it know flowed up to the back of my knees and I could feel a gentle tug. Then before me I saw a giant gate, half silver and half gold with the head of a lion carved into the surface. I put my hands on the gate and it opened easily despite its massive size.

I continued with the river. At some point I noticed the river had grown deeper still, flowing now to my waist, and the current had grown stronger still but not overwhelmingly so. It's also important to note the orbs of light still flowed with the river, with thousands upon thousands flying up and disappearing into the ceiling, but with a great multitude more continuing with the river. As I walked on, I noticed not only did the river grow deeper but the orbs of light were now skimming just along the top of the water now.

Finally I came to a gate of pure black with a scorpion engraved on the front. By this point the water was chest deep and every step was a struggle against the current. I placed my hand on the gate, and noted how much harder this gate was to open then the first. Once the gate finally opened, a ghastly scream pierced the air. A woman's I think. I was startled and wanted to turn back, but once more the voice said "Follow". So I did.

A short time after passing the black gate the water became too deep to wade through, and I had to begin swimming. The swim was easy as the current carried me with great ease. The orbs of light still followed me, skimming along the surface of the water. Ahead of me the blackness gave way to a bright red, and as I swam closer I saw a gate of fire burning bright against the black. It burned with an intensity and heat I can never describe. Then I noticed that the orbs of light were submerging in the water just before they reached the gate, and the voice once more spoke to me, saying 'Take'.

The orbs that still floated above the water couldn't be touched. I went to grab one but my hand faded though the orb. I tried with another much to the same affect. Finally, I went for one of the submerged orbs, and I was able to grasp it. It was heavy, far heavier then I could manage as I swam, now trying to fight the current from sweeping me far past it. I went for another, which was much lighter, but still far too heavy. The third one I grabbed was manageable, it weighed a considerable amount still, but I kept it out of fear of only finding heavier ones should I let it go.

I had lost my attention, and noticed now how close I had drifted to the gate of fire, I turned my back to the gate and went to swim away, but I felt something grab me and pull me under the water. I fought desperately against the current but it refused to let me go. The orb was weighing me down as I swam against the current, but my hand acted against my own will and refused to let go. I swam until I felt I could swim no longer. Somehow, I am not sure how, I escaped the river.

When I broke the surface of the water I found that the water was once again only ankle deep, and I found myself where I had started. Looking at the orb I saw when I had first entered. This time I touched the orb, and re awoke in the realm of the living as a necromancer.
First, I noticed my chest was not in pain despite the blood, and the dagger had been removed. The man in the silver and gold mask put both of his hands against my cheeks, and said 'we find light in the darkness', and then showed moved his robes to show me his bare chest, which was wounded much like my own, to which he explained:

"You become a master over life and death only when you are enslaved by neither, but rest somewhere in between."

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When you enter the realm of death you find yourself in the river Styx, then as you follow the current you come to a place where the orbs of light, or souls, dip into the water. The orbs are the souls of the living, and once they become submerged it signifies that the human vessel for the soul on the other side has died. Only then can a necromancer interact with the souls, and if he should carry them back into the realm of the living, he would have dominion over the soul. A soul can only be returned to the realm of the dead once the necromancer who carried them back passes away, until then a necromancer can literally use the soul as many times and for whatever purpose he wishes. Carrying a soul back through the water is an extremely difficult task, and even the most skilled necromancers risk being swept under the Gate of Fire, since carrying a soul back becomes harder each time it is accomplished. It is advisable to only carry one soul back and a time, and for player characters to only have carried one soul back (even the most skilled necromancers you may see through the RP have carried only two or three back, with the exception of Malfear who carried thousands back).

Also, the more powerful or older the soul is, the heavier it is.

Shades

When a Necromancer passes the Scorpion gate, a soul is expelled from hell to attune the necromancer to the realm of death. These souls are then cast into the realm of the living, where they wander for a time before they can materialize into ghastly spirits. These spirits are unaffected by objects from the material world, meaning swords and arrows have no affect on them, neither does most magic save for Exorcism, which can dematerialize them for a time.

Shades can then posses the corpses of the dead, or even animals and suits of armor, but a shade cannot posses a living person. When the vessel of a shade is slain, the shade is dematerialized for a time, but always returns. The longer a shade remains in the physical world, the stronger they become and jumping from vessel to vessel, to the point where a shade can effectively jump from vessel to vessel without materializing at all, making shades a truly dangerous opponent as long as there is a nearby vessel to posses.

Shades often have no recollection of their prior lives, and because of this they often do not associate with any particular gender. If they do, the often only associate with the gender of the particular vessel they are inhabiting. Because shades are able to posses corpses, they are often confused with necromancers, and even though shades are born from necromancy they aren't related to it any further than that.

Shades can only return to the realm of the dead once the necromancer whom created them is dead, therefor for every necromancer there is a shade.

Some important notes:

Shades are an enigma throughout the Five Kingdoms. Few people have even heard of a shade, and far less have actually seen one.

Shades are the byproduct of Necromancy, but are not bound to necromancers and are not undead. They are their own beasts entirely.

Shades have free will.
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Character Sheet

Name:

House Name: If applicable. If you give your character a house, expect to see your relatives frequently throughout the RP. If you just want your character to be a common Joe then leave this part blank and put a last name in the above field. Example: Name: Joe Lowborn. House: None.

Age:

Appearance: Picture or words acceptable

Homeland: Choose one of the five kingdoms. Also, I use kingdoms and nations interchangeably. Sometimes I'll call it five kingdoms, other times i call it five nations.

Race: Guardian, Mage, Shade or Necromancer

Spells: There are three branches of magic, and multiple schools for each branch. If you are a guardian then you can't use magic anymore.

Ok, so if you're a Mage, and you're Allegiance is to the Ivory Tower you can pick three schools of magic from the three branches except Demonology, Angelology and Necromancy, but these may become available later. If you're a Feral Mage, or a Mage who never swore allegiance to the Ivory Tower, then you may choose three schools from either Destros or Restos. If you're a mage who completed training at the Ivory tower, but later abandoned the tower for whatever reason, you may still choose schools from the branch of Mystos. Same if you're just a mage that by some happening learned the Branch of Darkness. Understand that if you abandon the Ivory Tower after you swore allegiance, you'll probably be hunted, same if you know Mystos without being with the tower. Also, if you're going to have your character learn Mystos on his own, write a good reason why in the Bio.

Now, if you're a shade you may choose either Destros or Restos (you automatically know Mystos). Then Pick three schools from the two branches you know (once more, Necromancy, Demonology and Angelology are off limits for the moment).

If you're a Necromancer, you may only know Destros and Mystos. Once more, choose three schools.

Bio: Try to make your character history as rich as possible. Throughout the RP i'll probably be drawing from your characters histories to shape the story.

Name
Lord Vendican Reinhardt

Age
102

House Name
House Reinhardt

House Sigil
The silhouette of a man standing arms extended, with a crimson droplet of blood in the center of his chest, sometimes simply a crimson droplet of blood on a black backdrop.

Family members
Amelia Reinhardt (Mother, deceased) Mortarion Reinhardt (Father, secretly alive, enthralled to Vendican, confined to Castle Reinhardt) Vendican Reinhardt (elder brother, Lord of Castle Reinhardt, seated at the council of the lords of Ferros)

Stronghold

Castle Reinhardt is a castle high in the mountains of Ferros on the lip of The Cradle, overlooking the Capitol City of Snowhearth. It has a jagged, foreboding appearance, looming eerily over the city beneath. It has been the target of many peasant superstitions, and has many nicknames among the common folk and slaves meant to inspire fear.

Standing forces
House Reinhardt has a total of 310 warriors, including the Castle Guard. Fifty of these warriors are Demonblood Thralls to Vendican, making them far more powerful than the average soldier. 20 Of the Thralls are Vendican's personal guard, and five have been hand-picked as his personal retainers. The house also has 50 slaves in it's service, though they are not warriors.

Homeland
Ferros

Race
Mage

Spells
Illusion, Alchemy, Sanguimancy (Blood Magic)

Sanguimancy
Sanguimancy is the control over one's own, and other's blood. It is only used by Vendican himself, to his knowledge. As long as Lord Vendican keeps the demonic presence within his own blood satisfied by the blood of others, he has access to the following spell-like abilities,

-Blood thrall: By draining the blood from a victim to the point of near-death, and then replacing it with some of his own, Vendican can transform the victim into a loyal servant, who will bend to his every whim. The Thralls of house Reinhardt are famous for being stronger, faster, and more durable than most normal humans, though nobody is sure why, save Vendican. Despite it's benefits, this ability is used sparingly, as it takes it's toll on Vendican, greatly weakening them for twenty-four hours afterward, or until he replenishes his body's reserves of blood. Not only that, but the ritual can be time consuming. Blood Thralls also gain an extended lifespan.

-Blood Manipulation: The most obvious use for the school of Sanguimancy, this is similar to the manipulation of water in the Hydromancy school, but instead of water, it allows Vendican to manipulate and control someone's blood (including his own.) This spell can be used to do anything from giving someone a head-rush and knocking them out, to boiling their blood inside their body, causing them intense pain or even death. It can also be used to draw blood out of the body, whether in small amounts or vast, lethal quantities. This is the primary way in which Vendican feeds his Demonblood. The spell can be countered with other schools of magic, particularly branches of Restos.

-Blood Transmutation: By combining Sanguimancy with his skill in the Alchemy school, Vendican can change the consistency, density, and shape of blood, usually, he uses this ability to create "Bloodstone" which is a scarlet crystalline substance similar in appearance to Ruby. Though not a very strong material, it is useful for surprise attacks, or projectiles. However, when one's blood is crystallized inside their bodies, the results can be interesting...

-Regeneration/healing: Due to his Demonblood "condition" Vendican has a regenerative healing factor. In addition to granting him functional immortality (or at least a vastly extended lifespan,) His heart pumps Demonblood at an accelerated rate, his wounds close far faster than any ordinary man, and he can even regrow severed limbs, if given enough time. The process of healing/regeneration can be further expedited by the consumption of the blood of others, which helps power the Demonblood inside Vendican. The one drawback to this is that the effects of Restos magic are nullified on him, making healing from outside sources impossible.

Skill/Abilities
-Swordplay: Vendican is well-practiced with a sword, though he will usually only draw it as a last resort.

-Diplomacy: Vendican's time spent on the Council of Ferros has taught him a great deal about how to manipulate a situation, and keep tensions from rising.

Equipment/Items
-Drinker: Drinker is the sword of House Reinhardt, and has been alchemized and enchanted by Vendican to absorb and store blood from those it cuts, to allow Vendican to transfer it into his body through a discreet but sharp decoration in the sword's pommel.

-Reinhardt Library: The library in Castle Reinhardt has many tomes, scrolls, and volumes collected over the years regarding a number of subjects from history to magic.

Weaknesses
-Healing magic: The spells from the school of Restos have an opposite effect on Vendican than they do others, because of his Demonblood. Should someone attempt a healing spell on him, it could cause great pain or injury, and if somebody powerful enough should attempt an exorsism, his Demonblood would be forcefully expelled from his body, which would be quite fatal (and messy.)

-Strange magical presence: Due to his condition, Vendican feels wrong to skilled mages, particularly those well-versed in Demonology or Purification. Usually, it's only an off-putting feeling, but if the mage is knowledgeable enough, they may see him for what he is. Though, since he is quite unique in his condition, they would most-likely only be confused by it. Regardless, magically-inclined people feel a wrongness about him, and usually remain on-edge and untrusting when in close proximity.

Biography
A sordid past, A mistrusted House
Long ago, at house Reinhardt's prime, a young Mortarion Reinhardt was accused of studying demonology and performing devil-worship. The Ferrosian court was to put him on trial, and the evidence against him seemed staggering. However, the lords who had accused him mysteriously vanished, the evidence disappearing along with them. The trial was still held, but those who would pass judgement, out of fear, absolved him of his charges. Although the young patron was freed from his possibly damning fate, House Reinhardt fell into poor standing among the courts, and gradually, alliances were lost. The once-great house began to wither. Mortarion managed to secure himself a bride from another noble house, though they were unwilling at first. Then, he sired his first son, Vendican, with a terrible and dark plan in mind.

Early life
Born a century ago to the decaying House Reinhardt, Vendican was groomed from an early age to lead the dying house back to it's former glory. His mother taught him history, and the ways of manipulation and politics, while his father trained him in magic and swordplay, as well as tactics, and the intricacies of ruling. By the time he was sixteen, Vendican had taken up a position on the council of Ferros as the young new patron of his house, and had solidified new partnerships for house Reinhardt, beginning the slow march to recovery. By Vendican's eighteenth year, House Reinhardt's name had recovered, and Vendican was a respected presence at the Ferrosian court. Castle Reinhardt was restored and regularly maintenanced on Vendican's orders, though the peasantry of the city below the castle still whispered foul rumours about the Reinhardt family.

Things were going well for the young Lord Vendican. His influence was growing, and his house was restored, and free of any vile magics that they had been accused of before. At least, that's what he assumed. He would be proven wrong on his twenty-second birthday.

The Ritual
After returning from a visit to Stonehearth, Vendican was knocked unconscious upon entry into his study. That night, he awoke in a dark, forgotten cellar of the castle. He was naked, and strapped lying face-up to a stone table, with unfamiliar markings drawn in a circle around him. He could recognize the markings as magical in origin, but could not even begin to understand them. As his senses attuned to his surroundings, he realized he was not alone as he heard the whimpering of his mother coming from somewhere in the room. Initially, he had assumed that they were under attack from a rival house, but the truth was far more sinister. After a few moments of struggling with his bonds to no avail, the door to the cellar opened. Vendican's mother screamed, recognizing the shape in the doorway. Vendican recognized it too, though he was confused as to his mother's reaction.

Mortarion Reinhardt, Vendican's father, and patron to house Reinhardt entered the room and shut the door. Vendican assumed at first that his father had come to rescue them, but as he saw the look on his father's face, the grim truth of the situation hit him. While squirming against his restraints and cursing his father for whatever he was about to do, he watched in horror as his father strode into the shadows, drawing a large dagger from it's sheathe, and strode back out of the shadows with Vendican's mother in the other hand, the dagger pressed against her throat. Vendican began to realize what it all meant, the strange markings, the dagger, the look on his father's face. His father had been guilty all those years ago, before his birth. His father had studied demonology, and was about to kill his mother as a sacrifice to some hell spawn.

Vendican tried to cast a spell, but his magic had been sealed by whatever markings were traced around him. He could only struggle and scream as his father cut his mother's throat, draining the blood into a pitcher. Then, his father took the dagger to him, opening several veins in his arms, and the artery in his neck. His father explained that it was to ease the transition, but Vendican didn't understand, his mind clouded by fear, pain, and blood loss. As his lifeblood began to leave him, he felt his soul leaving his body, beginning it's long, dismal stride through the river...but it wasn't over yet.

Mortarion, speaking a vile-sounding spell, poured his mother's blood into a nearby fire he had started. Instead of having the expected result, the fire was given form by the blood. A horrifying demon of boiling blood and flame and smoke now stood in the room, but the ritual was still not complete. Mortarion bound the demon with another spell, and through with a foul spell of his own concoction, began to alchemize the demon into the pool of blood that was leaking out of Vendican. Vendican lost consciousness at this point, and it could be said that he never regained it. What was Vendican died in the ritual that night, but something else was reborn.

New Blood
Vendican wasn't seen at court for several weeks. As he awoke to his new powers, he began to realize that he was neither Vendican, nor the demon, but something altogether new. He harbored no ill-feelings toward his father, despite the foul ritual, and the murder of his mother. Indeed, he felt a strange detachment from emotions in general. This was likely due to the part of his soul that escaped into the river Styx during the ritual, but it didn't really matter to Vendican at this point. Now he had the power to spread his influence not just among the court of Ferros, but to the entire world. Slowly but surely, he began his long, patient movement through time, beginning by learning the limits of his new abilities. He used his newfound powers to enthrall his father, Mortarion, and then locked him away in the deepest cellar of the castle. He didn't plan on letting his father manipulate him.

For many years, he developed the power and prestige of his house, and began manipulating the Ferrosian court. This went undisturbed until Malfear's first coming, when Ferros was forced to fight the Necromancer alone. Vendican submitted his forces to the Ferrosian army, as well as giving over a vast sum of gold to the king of Ferros in order to buy the help of the kingdom of Kain. Vendican himself marched into battle with his men, serving as one of the Ferrosian generals, hoping to learn something about Malfear's strange magic. He felt a kinship with Malfear, despite having never met the mage. As the only other mage he knew to have developed a new school of magic, he wondered what he could learn from the Necromancer. However, Malfear was defeated and pronounced dead by one of the other generals, much to the disappointment of Vendican.

Since the Necromancr's war, Vendican has been continuing his life in Ferros, ruling over Castle Reinhardt. He is a highly influential figure in the court, and the secret of the origin of his Blood Magic is kept closely guarded. Nobody but his father, and the occasional victim he takes from Stonehearth to satisfy his Demonblood, ever know his secret. There have been those who have asked questions over the years about things like his longevity, and those people tend to disappear mysteriously. For twenty-five years he has been content in this existence. However, rumors of Malfear's survival spread, and Vendican, as much as anyone, wants to know if these rumors are true, though his reasoning is far different than anyone else's.

Name: Benedict

House Name: Formerly of House Strass

Age: 26

Appearance:
Ben is a tall, hawk-nosed man with pale brown hair and dark green eyes. He moves with the confidence of someone born into power and used to obedience, a permanent frown on his face and open aggression in his posture. Once the son of an influential nobleman, he holds on to many of the mannerisms he learned as a child - from the light footsteps gained from months of fencing practise, to his neat, careful handwriting, to his mastery of the sublime art of disdainful sneering, Ben practically radiates nobility. Accordingly, he keeps himself impeccably clean, his hair neatly cut, and wears only the finest fabrics available - brazenly flaunting his status as a mage through billowing robes in dazzling colours, even when on the road. He carries no weapons at all, preferring overwhelming displays of magical might to intimidate, subdue or - in the worst case - kill his opponents.

Homeland: Valeal

Race: Tower Mage Veteran

Spells:
Geomancy
Pyromancy
Blessings

Bio:
Born into a family of wealthy nobles, young Benedict grew up surrounded by money and servants, immediately granted whatever he pointed at so long as he behaved himself. For most of his youth, he was quite content with this arrangement, feeling no particular desire to rebel against his upbringing, travel abroad or engage himself in anyone's cause but his own. Tutored by renowned masters of various skills - all of them appropriately noble, of course - Ben found himself possessed of a profound curiosity of physics, history and nature, excelling in lorekeeping and the sciences. While his house at first accepted this as a blessing, where most of the sons of House Strass had a predilection for physical pursuits, their pride turned to disappointment when it turned out that young Benedict was absolutely awful at statesmanship. Brazen, direct and oftentimes unpleasant, he had no talent for diplomacy - even for a child, he was considered alarmingly lacking in social graces. It came as a great relief to the house when he expressed an interest in magic, and he was shipped off to the tower soon afterward. He never looked back.

Ben found himself enraptured by his magical studies almost as soon as he began them. Like most other forms of higher learning, he had a knack for magic, and the immediate rewards of such knowledge made it far more satisfying field of study than anything he'd ever known. Hard-working and talented, he distinguished himself as a student of magecraft and dutifully adhered to the tower's moral philosophy - at least to the faces of his peers and elders. For Ben, there was never any doubt as to what his focus would be - fire and stone were the perfect outlet for his temper and drive to force his will on the world. It is said that men admire the man who can organize his wishes and thoughts in steel and brass, and Benedict took that saying literally. Blessings he added to his repertoire later on, out of a simple desire for breadth of skill. Ben had always fancied himself among the greatest magical minds of his generation, and confining his spellcasting to a single branch was simply out of the question.

While he eventually learned (or was forced) to get along with his fellow man to some degree, Benedict never outgrew his aggressive nature. In desperate need of an outlet both for his magical talent and his general, all-purpose wrath, he was more than happy to swear his fealty to the tower and dedicate the rest of his life to hunting down feral mages. In the years since, he has gleefully brought his powers to bear against any he has come across, reasoning that for every feral mage put to a spectacular end, ten more will be frightened into toeing the line. He does feel some sympathy for the mages he kills, however, as he is more than able to understand the temptation to simply take what one wants, or lash out with spells for the joy of it. If it weren't for feral mages keeping him occupied, he might well have become one himself.

Having had no particular difficulties making it through his five years of training, Benedict started his career as a full mage essentially by packing his bags and riding off into the sunset, to hunt rogue wizards and make a name for himself. As a student of the natural sciences, geography and magic, it had not occurred to him that a lifetime of secluded studies might not be the best preparation for a life on the road. Months of fleas, ticks, cold nights, saddle sores, highwaymen and wildlife did much to humble the young mage, who was forced to learn a series of very hard lessons very quickly. Though any problem can be solved with a large enough explosion, Benedict slowly worked his way toward a point where those only occasionally were the solution, coming to understand the difference between markings on a map and real terrain. One might hesitate to call him a rugged outdoorsman, but Ben has certainly known the price of hubris in the face of the great outdoors.

Name: Abraham "Abe" The Deaf

House Name: Formerly of House Levan

Age: 29

Appearance: To be posted.

Homeland: Gorgon

Race: Mage

Spells:
- Illusion: Primarily used defensively. Abraham took up his study of the illusion after a traumatic encounter with an Illusion-focused Feral Mage. Rather than seeking to control one's mind, Abraham prefers to combat the mind control of other mages. He explains it as placing a shell around the victim's thoughts thereby (hopefully) preventing an enemy mage from taking control. Abe has also found himself using this school of magic to form hallucinations and distractions among enemy combatants.

- Airomancy: Abe's interest in Airomancy was born out of travel among the oceans with his uncle. A talented Airomancer was chartered to guide the ship when delivering precious cargo across the coastal cities. This mage demonstrated the finer things one could perform with control of the wind and always entrhalled Abe with his talents.

- Blessings: Studies of this school for Abraham grew simply out of curiosity. Abe was fascinated as a student with the possibilities one could grant with a devotion to Blessings. He has been known to find many small uses for this school, though most often he is inclined to use it defensively among his allies in combat.

Bio: Born on the outskirts of the marshlands of Gorgon, Abraham was the youngest of three sons. His family belonged to House Levan, a decently respected and wide-spread House of Gorgon. Those belonging to the House were generally considered to be upper-middle class citizens nearly spanning Gorgon in its entirety. House Levan specialized in nothing in particular, but had their hands in a little bit of everything. This included hunting, sailing, mercantile, soldiers, smithing, and priesthood. Wherever people centered their housing, it is likely a Levan could be found nearby. Despite the long-reaching arms of House Levah, Abraham and his two older brothers would be the first inducted to the Tower of Magi.

Abe spent most of his childhood split between two homes. One, his true home, would be located near the Marshlands. He and his brothers stayed at this house when his father was home. Due to a foul disease shortly after Abraham's birth, his mother passed. This being the case, when his father would go on long hunting trips through the marshes, Abe and his brothers would be sent to stay with their uncle: A merchant on the coast of Gorgon. Oftentimes his uncle would take them on business trips to more southern ports. This is where the boys would first encounter a mage: a talented Airomancer often hired to guide the ship down the coast. Abraham, more-so than his brothers, was fascinated by the mage. He admired the subtle tricks that could be made possible with control over the wind. His brothers, after later being exposed to Pyro- and Geomancers in the southern ports, were far more interested in the flashy tricks performed with fire and stone. Despite their different interests, each boy took a love of magic and desperately begged their father to pursue it.

As promised by their father each boy, once at the age of 18, was sent to the Ivory Tower to begin studies in the way of the Magi. The eldest brother, William, was the first to go. With fire in his heart and pyromancy in his mind, he took to the magic like a natural. Two years later the middle brother, Gerald, joined him at the tower. Similar to his brother, Gerald was a natural and almost effortlessly took root in the conept of geomancy. Three years after that, Abraham finally had his opportunity. He was sent to the tower with a primary interest in Airomancy. It was during one of his earliest classes at the Tower that he met Tegan. At the end of the year, Abe had breezed through his classes, begun a close friendship with Tegan, and watched his oldest brother come back from a Feral Hunt a hero. William's pride of victory and flashy celebrations excited Abraham and only encouraged him to pursue his studies moreso, hoping that he would one day return a hero and full-fledged Tower mage as his brother had.

A few more years pass, and Gerald, his other brother returned from his first hunt successfully. Though less flashy and proud than William was, Gerald was happy and finally promoted to Tower Mage. Abraham continued his studies and practices, attempting to perfect his trade day in and day out. He and his close friend, Tegan, would often study together. Though they would take seperate classes and ultimately choose different paths (one a Guardian, the other a mage) the two found a natural harmony among their practices. This harmony helped the two hone their crafts exceedingly well.

At the dawn of Abe's fifth year something unexpected occurred. on two back-to-back hunts in the deep marshes of Gorgon, both of Abraham's brothers went missing. The official report was that both parties would killed in action while hunting Feral mages. It's a sad truth that not every hunt is successful, and this pained Abe. He wanted desperately to make his brothers proud, but now they wouldn't be here to see him return a hero from his first hunt. Despite the fact they wouldn't be here to celebrate with him, he was encouraged. He decided now that he was doing this for more than just himself. Even though they may never know of his accomplishment, he felt they would be proud of him to graduate and began pursuing his studies with more devotion. By the end of the fifth year, he felt that he was more than ready to go on his first Feral Hunt.

Tegan's studies ended at the same time as Abe's. Due to the chosen paths of each student, the two were sent on a hunt together. They were escorted by a Tower Mage, Guardian, and a handful of guardsman, as is usual for a student's first Hunt. The Hunt was located in the dense forests of Valaria. The party traveled atop a faintly beaten path deep into the woods. After a few days of searching the forests, the group finally found their target. Or rather...he found them.

Walking down the path, an arrow whizzed through the center of the group, impaling the Tower Mage in the back of the neck sending him limply to the ground. The group spins around to find one of the guardsmen with his bow drawn, notching another arrow pointed towards the leading Guardian. The two remaining gaurds begin to draw their swords against the archer, but quickly find themselves drawn to attack the remaining members of their own party. Without words, the guardsmen begin swinging wildly at the Guardian and the students. The Guardian drew his weapon and proceeded to fight back. Tegan soon followed suit and Abraham began concentrating on grasping the winds. As the Guardian fells one of the guardsmen, the Feral mage shows himself, along with his bound thrall at right off the path. The archer lets loose another arrow towards Tegan, but Abraham's winds violently whip it into the ground before it reaches anybody. Frustrated, he draws his sword and lines up next to the other guard and the thrall, in front of the Feral Necromancer. It's clear the two guardsmen are under control by the Feral Mage. This wasn't their doing and the only way to save them would be to end the Mage's spell. The Thrall leaps at Tegan, fangs drawn, but is slammed to the ground by his target before making contact. The two guardsmen charge the Guardian who could easily end one foe, but finds difficulty is slaying two innocent attackers. Abraham sets his sights on the mage. The winds around the group are swirling madly, whipped up by Abraham's energy. He finds it hard to control because it is hard to concentrate. The shouting, the metal clanging and the Feral Mages insane cackling are all distractions clouding his focus. He closes his eyes (probably not the wisest thing to do in a battle, but it was hard to think clearly) and sets his mind to a specific goal. He uses the winds to tear a limb from a tree behind the Necromancer and sends it flying towards him. The necromancer discovers the young mage's attempt and easily sidesteps the branch. He hurls a large orb of glowing hot fire towards Abe which lands only feet away. The blast chars Abe's vest and sends him flying across the road.

Things grew quiet. The shouting, cackling, and steel were all muffled. His vision was blurry, but slowly coming back into focus. His sight sharpens up just in time to see the Guardian impaled by the blades of the guards, falling lifelessly to his back. The guardsmen then set their sights on each other. Lifting the swords up simultaneously, they slowly press the blades into the stomach of the other. Moments after the swords pierced the skin, the necromancer released his grasp on the soldiers. The men instantly regained their thoughts and the look of horror as they realized they'd exchanged blades is an imagine burned into Abraham's mind. The two tried to retrieve their swords, but it was too late. Both men unsheathed a bloody piece of steel from the other and fell together. Abraham's consciousness began to drift in and out. A blackness would fade in and out, images only coming in clips. Through the fading, he sees the necromancer approaching him with Tegan battling the Thrall in the background. Moments later, Abe is at the Feral Mages feet...but behind him, Tegan beheads the Thrall with a swift, clean swing of her blade. The Feral Mage raised his hands and filled his palms with a flame aimed towards the young Magi on the ground, but is stopped with the sight of a blood-stained steel blade piercing through his stomach. Tegan throws the man's limp body to the side and kneels down, shouting to Abraham. The words were still muffled, but the battle was over and Abe lost consciousness once more.

He awoke in the infirmary at the Ivory Tower. It was quiet, but they were people around him speaking. He could hear them, but could only make out a few words here and there. One of the priests in the infirmary had left a note beside his bed, entailing the details of what had happened recounted by Tegan. The Feral Mage had specialized in Illusion, Demonology, and Pyromancy and was once a promising student at the Tower of Magi but was lost to the temptation of Necromancy. The fireball cast at Abe had caused the loss of almost all of his hearing, though no other permanent damage was sustained.Both Tegan and Abraham were pronounced victorious in their hunt that day, despite the losses. Tegan was promoted to a full-fledged Guardian and Abe to a full Tower Mage. The traumatic events that took place on that day led Abraham to set his sights on the Illusion school of magic. He wanted to ensure that same problem wouldn't happen again.

Tegan and Abraham found themselves growing closer after that day, not in a romantic way, but as a team. Abraham's near complete loss of hearing made teamwork difficult at first. The two experimented with different symbols, sign language, etc...but it never seemed to be quite efficient enough. After hearing of their problem, the two were approached by the tower's only Enchanter. He was an older mage who specialized in the School of Blessings and the highly guarded School of Alchemy. He combined the two schools to give magical qualities to ordinary items. The older man offered them a pair of enchanted amulets. The wearers of these amulet would be able to communicate across great distances with only so much as a whisper. With a little aid from Abraham's Illusion magic, his amulet could be manipulated to communicate without him speaking at all. The two accepted the offer and made the necessary payments.

These days the pair find themselves teaching at the Ivory Tower. They teach a class on Synergy Between Magi and Guardians. Occasionally the two are asked to go on Feral Hunts and have done so quite successfully. Abraham hopes that in the coming years he will one day join the coveted ranks of the Archmagi.

--

Recently a rumor has spread around the lands of two Feral Magi deep in the swamps of Gorgon. Whispers in the halls claim these to be formerly of House Levan, though these are rumors that Abraham tries to ignore. He knows his brothers passed in a failed hunt in that same swamp. It would be impossible the same young men he knew had gone Feral...right?